Funding & Training Focus - 11 June

Fresh Funding to Power Local Ideas

The sun’s made a timid return, the schools are counting down the days, and community groups across Renfrewshire are buzzing with summer plans.
Whether you’re running a school holiday club, planning a science workshop, or supporting people in rural areas – this week’s funding update has something for you.

From grants for community gardens and STEM outreach, to funding for mental health support and creative projects, there’s a bit of everything to keep your brilliant work going strong.

So take five, grab a cuppa, and have a scroll through, support for your next project might be in here.

If I can support your group with an application, you know where to find me: mwollberg@engagerenfrewshire.com

Climate Change

Funding Available to Involve More People in Tackling Climate Change
Charities, community groups, not-for-profits, public bodies, schools, and co-operatives can apply for grants that support initiatives that link climate action to people’s daily lives and interests. The grants will support community-led projects that connect climate action with everyday concerns while fostering collaboration across diverse sectors, including arts, sports, policy engagement, and work with underrepresented groups. The funding is being made available through the National Lottery’s £20 million Climate Action Fund – Our Shared Future. Applications must be submitted by partnerships involving a mix of eligible organisations. Grants start at £500,000, with most awards ranging from £1 million to £1.5 million over three to five years. A limited number of larger or longer-term projects may also receive funding, with up to 25 projects expected to be supported in total. The fund is open until later in 2025, with the final application deadline to be confirmed. Find out more


Volunteering Matters Action Earth 
Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and NatureScot, these Action Earth grants support volunteers of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to run practical environmental activities that improve biodiversity in Scotland’s green spaces in built-up areas and centres of population.
This could include creating or improving community gardens, shared greenspaces, wildflower meadows, local ponds, community woodlands and other wildlife homes and habitats.
We will prioritise applications from volunteer groups that:

• Work in areas where there is substantial social and/or economic deprivation
• Improve and develop the health and wellbeing of their local community
• Involve people with disabilities or defined health issues and those at risk of exclusion
• Make major environmental impacts and/or involve mass participation.

All Volunteering Matters Action Earth projects must be complete and have submitted their feedback/claim by Saturday 28 February 2026.
Before applying, please check our guidance on what we can and cannot fund at: https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/project/action-earth/
If you have any questions or would like advice on a proposed application please email robert.henderson@volunteeringmatters.org.uk

Education

Funding for Rural Community and Education Projects
Charities supporting rural development, particularly young people's education and poverty relief within rural areas, can apply for funding through the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust. The funding focuses on supporting larger initiatives that would significantly impact rural communities. Grants available are for £1,000 - 50,000.  Larger grants are used to support organisations that significantly impact rural communities nationally. Projects funded in the past have ranged from City farms, Federations of Young Farmers Clubs and farming Community Networks. The next closing date for applications is 10 October 2025. Find out more
 

Society for Microbiology – Science Education and Outreach Grants
Grants of up to £1,000 are available through the Microbiology Society's Education and Outreach programme for members in the UK or Republic of Ireland, including those working in schools. These grants are intended for innovative outreach activities that support relevant science teaching or initiatives and developments likely to lead to an improvement in the teaching of any aspect of microbiology. Eligible activities include talks, workshops, demonstrations, posters, leaflets, broadcasts, activities at science festivals, and audio-visual or computer-based packages, as well as activities that take place as part of a National Science and Engineering Week. The next deadline for applications is the 01 October 2025. Find out more

Grants of up to £5,000 Available to Increase Employment Opportunities for Disadvantaged Adults

Grants of up to £5,000 are available to registered charities to support projects that equip people (18 or older in order) from disadvantaged groups with the communication skills necessary to gain employment. Priority will be given to projects that target people experiencing multiple deprivation or other groups facing major hurdles to employment, especially women, people with physical, mental, or learning disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers. The funding is being made available through the Thomas Wall Trust, and the deadline for stage 1 applications is 22 September 2025. Applicants successful at this stage will be invited to submit a stage 2 application. Find out more

Funding for Financial Life Skills Projects

Small to medium-sized not-for-profit organisations across the UK will be able to apply for grants of up to £10,000 to improve people’s money management skills. This funding is being made available by the MSE Charity to support activities that make a lasting impact on how people think, behave and manage their money. Examples of eligible activities include delivering money management workshops, training volunteers to run workshops or provide peer support, upskilling existing staff with financial capability training to better support clients, and offering financial inclusion activities to disadvantaged groups (e.g., by age, disability, ethnicity, gender, etc.) There is a two-stage application process. Stage 1 applications will be accepted from 02 July 2025 to 10 July 2025. Find out more

National Lottery Grants for Heritage - Grants of up to £10 Million Available

Not-for-profit organisations across the UK can now apply for grants of between £250,000 and £10 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for projects connecting people and communities to UK heritage. The funding can support a broad range of activities and project costs such as volunteer expenses, capital works, repairs, maintenance, conservation costs, professional fees, event costs, and the acquisition of heritage. All projects must also consider long-term environmental sustainability. Partnerships are encouraged. Up to 10% match funding is required. The next closing date for expressions of interest for National Lottery Grants for Heritage is 12 noon on 06 August 2025. Find out more

Housing

Grants to Provide Solutions for People in Housing Need
The Lintel Trust, Scotland's Housing Charity, is offering small grants to support community projects addressing housing needs. Grants of £500 or £1,000 are available for initiatives that help people in social housing, focusing on projects that reduce social isolation, promote digital participation, enable older people to live independently, support individuals with disabilities, and assist those transitioning from homelessness to stable housing. Eligible organisations must have a direct connection to housing associations, housing cooperatives, or local authority social housing providers. The next application deadline is 13 August 2025, and interested organisations should visit the Lintel Trust website for more information and application guidelines. Find out more
 

Grants & Loans for Social Housing Projects
Grants and interest-free loans are available to small registered charities providing affordable homes for vulnerable people in need in England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands & Isle of Man. The Quaker Housing Trust provides support through two separate programmes to help housing projects that meet the needs of people undergoing transitions in their lives, such as those seeking asylum, recovering from addiction, leaving prison, or moving from domestic abuse. Best Practice Grants of up to £6,000 are offered to support projects in their early stages of development, while the Main Grants and Loans Programme awards a mixture of grants and loans up to £50,000 (with maximum grants of £20,000) to fund housing projects. The next deadline for applications is 19 June 2025. Find out more

Miscellaneous

The Weir Charitable Trust
Scottish-based community groups and small charities working in the areas of sport, recreational facilities, health, culture, and animal welfare can apply for grants of up to £25,000 through the Weir Charitable Trust. The trust aims to assist organisations that have difficulty securing funding elsewhere. Applications are accepted twice a year and the next deadline is 5pm on 15 August 2025. Find out more
 

Funding to Reduce the Challenges of Armed Service Life for Partners
Grants of between £10,000 to £70,000 are available for projects that find ways of reducing the challenges of service life for partners of serving armed forces personnel, including reservists. The grants support projects and activities that improve the support available for service partners and spouses. This can include promoting their skills and experiences in the workplace, enhancing wellbeing, improving access to support services, and addressing the challenges that partners and spouses can sometimes face. The funding is being made available through the Supporting Partners Programme, funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. Applications are accepted from Armed Forces units or bases, as well as charities, community interest companies and universities or colleges in the UK. The deadline for applications is 12pm on 23 July 2025. Find out more

Young People

Funding to Enable Disadvantaged Young People Reach their Potential
Registered charities (including Schools registered as charities for young people with disabilities) that work with disadvantaged children under 25 can apply for funding of up to £10,000. Of particular interest are projects that provide opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people to fulfil their potential and educational activities that develop learning, motivation and skills. Projects could, for example, support special educational needs, address behavioural problems, promote citizenship, parenting, or life skills. Preference will be given to projects piloting new approaches to disseminate the outcomes to a wider audience. The funding is being made available through the Ironmongers Company's grants programme. The next deadline for applications is 30 June 2025. Find out more

      

The Renfrewshire Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is now offering a two-year funding option for the first time, as part of the Scottish Government’s Fairer Funding pilot. This change aims to provide more stability and allow organisations to plan and deliver their work over a longer period.

Organisations wishing to apply for multi-year funding must now submit a Note of Interest form as the first stage in the application process. Only groups who meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the guidance will be invited to submit a full application.

We are holding 4 information sessions.

• 19 June  2pm-3pm
• 24 June  6pm-7pm
• 02 July  11am-12pm
• 04 July  6pm-7pm

The sessions will also include time for questions and discussion, giving groups an opportunity to clarify how the changes affect their plans and to prepare a stronger application.

These sessions are strongly recommended for any third sector organisation or community group considering applying, particularly those unfamiliar with the new eligibility requirements or the Note of Interest process.

You can book to attend a session in person (limited places) or online.

In person booking

Online booking

Training

Families Outside Training

This session is suitable for professionals from any sector who wants to feel more confident when supporting families affected by imprisonment in their own role.
 
Prison and prison visiting online via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday 25 June, 9:30am – 12:30pm.
 
The session covers:

• The key functions and elements of the Scottish Prison Estate
• The importance for families of maintaining contact, and ways to do this, when someone is in prison
• The supports available to families within a prison environment

Link to register: https://buytickets.at/familiesoutside/1679490

Advocacy Training

REACH Advocacy will be delivering their awareness workshop on Friday 20 June at the Torley Unit in Dykebar from 10am - 4pm with lunch provided. To book, please email Ruth Donnelly - Ruth.Donnelly2@nhs.scot
 
The workshop will look at Human Rights Based Advocacy, and the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards and how they can be implemented as part of a wider human rights-based framework to reduce drug deaths and related harms within Scotland. 
 
Key topics covered in the workshops include; socioeconomic factors contributing to Substance Use Disorder as a health condition; Human Rights legislation; practical educational frameworks to use when applying a Human Rights Based Approach; as well as MAT Standards (1- 10) themselves and how they all aim to ensure that the human rights of individuals are upheld, fulfilled and protected.
 
The workshop is suitable for anyone with an interest in the subject, please do share this email with your networks.

Gambling Harm Support for migrant communities

Wednesday 18 June at 5:30pm.
 
This webinar is dedicated for individuals from migrant communities who struggle with gambling addiction as well as those who are affected by the gambling addiction of their close ones. We would like to raise awareness about this problem among migrants in Scotland and introduce solutions and support that are available for them. Experts from GamCare will be providing practical information on: 

• How to stop your gambling addiction
• Dealing with gambling debt
• Support for family and friends

 Our online webinar will ensure full anonymity and confidentiality (no video or names of attendees displayed) of those who will participate but will allow the opportunity to ask questions to the experts.
 
Registration is required: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z0oVnqUnQu-_4E0aFa6jvQ